Reconsidered
by Waterkai
Summary: Pro-bending had always been a game of the streets. But now it goes legal, criminals have to revise their lifestyle in order to fit in with the new society. Of course, this is not without problems.


A spiderbat crawled further away into the corner, shunning the flickering light in the center of the room. Smoke arose from dozens of cigars, collecting beneath the flickering lamps like early morning mist. Thick, hairy fingers rubbed eagerly across their neighbors, watching the ongoing event with attention only a man with a lot of money to lose could possess.

"_In the beginning there were no rules"_

The sound of muffled grunts and screams echoed through the damp hall, alternated with the booming of raging elements. Sometimes, the earth shook and the building itself began to whimper, but no one came to its rescue. Darkness had fallen in Republic City, a nightfall harboring many secrets.

"_No judge to testify the restrictions that had been settled"_

Beyond the fighting hall, and beyond Republic City shone the Moon Spirit in all of its magnificence. Few souls knew that this beautiful entity was once flesh and bone, mortal like them. To most, it was simply the light within the blackness. To others, it was merely a heap of stone in the sky. It was the twelfth day of the ninth month of the Superior Military Dragon year, and all was going well in Republic City.

"_Nothing but the heat of the fight, the stench of blood and the sweet, sweet taste of victory"_

The ring had been overturned, like a forest after a spring hurricane. Another eruption, and the ground rippled like a little pond. With a thunderous _crack_, fissures spread across the floor, travelling like snakes around the feet of a lone waterbender. Jumping upwards, an eel of water streamed out the fur pouch on his back, flexing into a half-circle that grabbed the earthbender by the neck, shooting him backwards and pinning him to the wall, where it froze to an icy nose. Not a kolibriwasp could have flapped its wings when the counter came, a blossom of early summer's blaze that came as a dragon's breath, bouncing back on a water-sheathed arm.

With malice and cruelty, the firebender jumped up, one leg to the side, ready to attack. He spun around, and touched down with an angel's foot. Chalk colored his toes, his body just behind the line that signified an error. But it was already too late. Soon a javelin, colder than the deepest hell and sharper than a rocksloth's claw robbed him of his light, knocking the head back with its power. As he came down the ice fell apart, wreathing him in the last crown he would ever bear. The waterbender lowered the limbs that had caused that much destruction, releasing a breath he didn't know he had taken. The water ebbed back to its master, without a gesture needed.

"That was not necessary." The plump man with the moustache spoke. His accent was undeniable, easy to define. There were a lot of Ba Sing Se beggars who came to seek their fortune in the new city these days. Sadly for him, the sweat on his forehead and the rattling breath in his chest betrayed that he had made the wrong bet. The waterbender cocked his head backwards as an answer. There, the first victim of this fight lay. His tunic in azure and amber was complemented by the still-warm blood flowing from his chest, where an earthen spike bigger than the victim himself had found its way, reaching for the sky. "Payback."

The crunching of paper riveted from the man's fist. In his eyes was the despair of a man who had just lost everything. But it was no use. A stout figure, dressed in green, emerged from the fickle shadows, a stack of bills wedged between his hands. The waterbender let his partner go first, and then smashed the metal door of the building close. The moustache man followed their path with his eyes, fists clenched in impotency as the other closed in on him. He could not pay his debts. The team he had assembled was dead. It was time for him to go.

* * *

"You know, tonight is the first legal tournament. You gonna watch?" The man was sleek, handsome and fit, dressed impeccably. Yet everything was wrong about him. His face was _too_ well-formed, his smile _too_ bright, his hands _too_ clean for a man of his trade. It was like he had never set a foot in the outside world. The waterbender gulped down his last piece of bread, reaching out to a nearby bottle of firewater to wash the last bits away. "Nope. Those money-rats with their idiot ideas. The north pole importing ice would make a better plan than this." The sleek man laughed and leaned forward in his chair, a movement so graceful it was as if the whole room had flowed into a position that would fit him best. "You know, a lot of the street fighters are considering moving to the sunny side. Less risk, less danger, more profit and, if all goes well, just a hint of fame." The waterbender spat, as if he wanted to physically express the rejection of the suggestion. "And most of all, no fun." A dull grim lay within his scarred features. "Thank you, but I'd rather die in a real match than have my head permanently stuck up some referee's ass. What's the matter, Gin? You wanna get rid of me?"

Gin laughed, a small chuckle that send shivers cold as a pole night crawling down the waterbender's spine. "If that would have been my intention, the sewer rats would have been crunching your bones by now. No, I'm emigrating!" The waterbender looked up from his scanty meal, eyebrows raised in amazement. "Where to?" "Fire Nation, of course! Economy has fallen into a massive dump there, people are desperate. I can become a very rich man if I just tweak the events a bit." With a slender twirl, Gin stood up, polishing his sleeves that had been dirtied by the dusty room. "But, that also means you'll need yourself to find a new guardian angel. Sorry boy."

The waterbender grumbled. It really wasn't the right time for something like this. Now that pro-bending was going legal, the interest in the original stuff was rapidly decreasing. There used to be a time where you didn't have the time to wash the blood of your skin before you were already pushed in another ring, but now the moon showed its full majesty more often than tournaments were held. All this frustation then turned into pure bloodlust, making men animals and matches all-out battles, forcing the few participants to endeavor new teammates every fight. They were a dying race.

"The least you can do is find me some new partners. Lost both of them just yesterday." Gin was standing with his back facing the pro-bender, his hands fiddling with an object the latter coudln't discern. "Both of them? I thought it was just Sparky." The waterbender shrugged as he finished a piece of duck. "Yeah. The other one tried to sneak away with my share when he thought I was sleeping. So in the end he got nothing." Gin put away the object, still without revealign its identity. "Tough world, ay? Well, I think I've got a pair in mind. You'll meet the firebender first thing tomorrow."

The waterbender stood up and brushed aside the remaisn of his lunch. "And the other one?" Gin grinned mischievously. "He's behind bars now. Give me a week, tops." The waterbender turned around, chuckling as he arranged his lean possessions into his pouch. "You always know how to pick 'em, don't you, Gin?" The silver-haired man smiled again and held open the door for the waterbender to pass. I simply do what I'm good at, Tiam. No less than you."

* * *

The hall reeked of sweat and frustration. Excitement, too. Training halls had been exhibited for the first time ever, in preparation of the primordial tournament. Hordes of aspiring rookies had scurried into the brightly-lit room, punching discs and throwing fireballs at each other. It seemed, to Tiam, very unlikely that he would find any kind of decent partner among this breed of badgerrats, but Gin had assured him the guy he was looking for was going around here. If he was as any good as Gin had promised, he would have long ripped apart half of the chamber within the few minutes Tiam had spent here. His mistrust grew each second. Gin had always been too slick. Why did he even associate himself with that snake to begin with? Oh yeah, money.

He had received no further information but the location of the firebender, so Tiam sat down on a nearby bench and peered through the mass of flexing muscles and roaring assaults. It was almost pitiful how these idiots thought they could become superstars just by splashing around. Bending was an art, a privilege, an idea left open for interpretation. To convert it into some money-maker where you can't even properly conjure a good wave of ice, was almost spitting in the face of the spirits. Sure, he was a pro-bender, but he did the real thing. The streets were ruleless. Bending had been turned into a bloody art there, but an art nonetheless. The adrenaline of reaching within the deepest realms of your soul to raise a phenomenon nature couldn't even produce itself, _that_ was what bending is about. Just skimming through the rulebook of this violation of the art was enough to tell you it was all work and no play. Set one toe out of the line, and it was all over. Well, three toes, actually.

Damn this was boring. The candidates here were kids, riding here with a kiss from their mom and the Satomobile of their dad. They probably expected a paradise, were you simply had to wave a few attacks at someone else and cash in your fame and fortune. Well, new game or not, money stayed money. If it could be earned, it could be earned dirty, and Tiam was sure there were already a dozen of corrupt businessmen waiting for the spectator gates to open, and the yuans to flow in. It was a bad world we live in, where pain was always pleasure's shadow. If only -

Her entrance was like the sunrise after a night of warfare.

Immediately, the atmosphere shifted. Everyone's attention was lost, eyes pointed only at the skin she revealed. A fireball, launched just before the goddess' arrival, darted in the face of his maker's sparring mate, whose drool unfortunately couldn't quench the flames. The screams he uttered were terrible, but nobody noticed. Even the boy himself seemed to only hit the fire out of necessity. If he had been any more intoxicated by the view, he probably wouldn't even had paid attention to the blaze devouring his skin. Even Tiam, a man whose soul was as bitter as lemons and with a will stronger than steel, couldn't help but pointing his gaze. She might as well have been the spirit of love, beautiful as the first spring flower and passionate as a young couple. Yet the muscles were clearly visible in her arms and the mini-skirt and top she was wearing exposed the long scar that ran across her exposed belly. She was no simple woman you could pick up from the edge of the sidewalk.

Then she took a step, and the spell was broken. Confused, everyone slowly resumed their activities, some friends bending over the burnt boy in uncomfortable concern. Her pass was as light as a feather, her feet barely touching the ground. As she floated across the room, men and women alike tried to take subtle peeks at her figure, some out of admiration, some out of jealousy. But Tiam was not only interested in the features she displayed. Both her clothing and her manners hinted at Fire Nation heritage. Could she be the firebender? Resting his elbows on his knees, Tiam clenched his hands in front of his face and observed, hoping for a display of awe-inspiring force any second now.

At the other end of the chamber, the goddess sat down in the right corner. Her long brown hair, bound together in a ponytail, cleaved through the air like the wings of a butterfly. Even from here, Tiam could pick up the scent of roses and honeysuckle. She crossed her legs, took a deep breath and...

Nothing.  
That was it. For hours she sat there, breathing, basking in the revolving streak of sunlight that shone through the window. As it shifted with the sun's travel, she was never abandoned. Not once did the light leave her, not once did the darkness bind her. Her beauty was a sundial, always marking the best time of the day. But still, she sat there. Alone. Breathing. It was not that she was never approached, oh no. Men and women alike came to her, with propositions honorable and less. But she never answered. She just looked up. That simple motion, that gaze in her eyes, drove away worshipers like a predator sheep. Still, Tiam was none the wiser if she was his target. But he stayed. None _other_ showed any potential to be his partner.

And she surely was _interesting_.

It was only when the sun had set and all kids had went to bed that she budged. Smoothly she stood up and walked out, not waisting even a single thought on the man who had been observing her for the past few hours. But Tiam wouldn't let this opportunity slip by so easily. Getting up, he quickly closed the distance between himself and the goddess, grabbing her by the shoulder just before she could stride away. The move was a bit rough around the edges, but he had never been a gentleman. Besides, what would she do?

It felt like he had groped a lightning bolt.

A jolt of electricity struck his body with metal-grinding force. He wanted to let go of her, but the continuous current made his hand stick to her shoulder like a spiderfly to a honeypot. Grabbing his hand, the goddess ended the torture with a quick hip throw, slamming the careless waterbender upside-down into the wall. As Tiam got up, carefully feeling all his limbs and touching the burn marks around his palm, her face shot up at him, a coat of lightning quivering around her like thousands of eels. Her eyes, once filled with the morning sun, were now a dying star, red and furious. Her little mouth was deformed into a grimace of anger and suspicion, her slender arms dangling beside her, index and middle fingers sticking out, wary for any action. It wasn't time to talk now, it was time for action.

Water would only sharpen the blade of his guillotine, so the bender charged forward without any spiritual power in his disposal. Adrenaline pounded through his veins, in his eyes lessening the winds of time that continued to slowly erode all that once arose from the spirits. The goddess' right arm rose up, even in its savagery still once of the most beautiful happenings Tiam had ever beheld. Two fingers were pointed at him, soundlessly accusing him of what could be nothing but the most barbaric of deeds. Why else would a goddess waste her time annihilating him? But it was not yet his time to become a drop in the great ocean. His own hand shot out, smacking away the deadly wrist, making it describe an axis not unlike the heavenly body that gave its master her power. Talking about heavenly body...

It was the thought that liberated him from the trance. An explosion of noise and destruction wrecked his eardrum, the diverted beam of lightning slicing through the wall and ceiling like a hot knife through butter. Before the goddess could overturn him with her other palm, he swiped away her legs, bringing what he held as heavenly in face-down contact with her antitheses. A quick movement Tiam's eyes couldn't follow, and she was back on her feet. Heat emanating from her limbs was enough to tell the waterbender it was time to bring out his true abilities, and he could only just in time sheath his forearms in water before the goddess launched a fire-packed punch at his person. Hit after hit was taken by the other, motions so fast any bystander would only have noticed the quenching of fire and the hissing of water. The goddess tucked backwards, launching a stream of fire as she came down. Crunching, the waterbender summoned all water he had and collected it into an icy wall, diffusing the fire like a ball of snow.

Tiam was sweating. The heat of her flames was astonishing, far above anything he had faced before. And he had faced a _lot_ of freaky stuff. But, time for thinking there was not. Even before her attack had completely evaporated, the wall broke into shards, launching themselves at the goddess, the air screaming as the razor-sharp pieces flew through its immaterial self. Yet a few aerials and jumps later, the only thing that was shred was the brand new wallpaper, which hung now from the walls like tatters of damaged clothing. This had to end immediately. Violence like this couldn't go long without being noticed. And no owner would like to find his building torn to pieces days before its actual usage.

Apparently the goddess had the same in mind. Charging forward with a hand full of flames, Tiam did the same as well, only with his favorite part of nature. A clash of opposites it would be, beautiful ad theatrical, symbolic like the arrow of peace. It would be...

Tiam's train of thought went of its rails and burned up when he saw the fire dissipating a moment before contact, leaving only sparks of electricity to dance in the goddess' palm. Nothing could be helped now. This was gonna hurt. This was really gonna hurt. But no mental representation could have prepared him for the real thing. A thousand lionants stung him at the same moment, thousands of hot knives scalding his intestines. Through the edge his eyelids, half-closed and at the edge of falling down forever, he could see a devious little smile, outlined by a cheek whiter than the the Painted Lady's robes. As in an effort to touch perfect beauty once last time, his right hand tremulously inched towards it, gasps of rattling breath being pushed out of his lungs. When the connection was made, he slit down, to the throbbing vein that supplied the goddess of her life energy, her glorious scarlet, her divine ambrosia.

The lightning stopped. The devious smile opened up, the midday-sun eyes widened in amazement. Underneath the snow-white skin, veins thickened, raising themselves across her visage like a spider web on a stored painting. The moment lasted but the blink of an eye, but it was a second where time stood still, reverberating across eternity as the last words of an unfinished book holding the key to all truths. To all others, it went by unnoticed, but to the goddess and the dragon it was an instant that would define their whole further lives.

And then it ended. The goddess collapsed, the dragon shivered. In both their eyes there was only disgust for the past moment. Disgust and horror. But now the goddess had been dethroned, her halo had been broken. It was time for her to become an avatar for her own status, and endeavor to lay contact with the force that had robbed her of her crown.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Tiam wasn't surprised. Not that it was a normal situation for him. He just wasn't someone who got surprised. "Wrong with me? You started to throw goddamn bolts of lightning at me." There was no doubt anymore. This was the person he had been looking for. Gin had not exaggerated when he described her abilities. It would have come in handy though if the fox had told him it was a woman he had to look out for. And that she was fucking crazy. Well anyway, he could only make the best out of it right now. "Because you grabbed me from behind." The goddess said, casually brushing off some dust that had soiled her top as if nothing had happened. "Can't you understand a woman like me gets the wrong idea when she is met with such a situation?"

Tiam frowned. How come she suddenly was so friendly? Less than a minute ago she was throwing around elemental barrages with the intent to kill. And now she was making jokes? Gin surely knew how to pick his people. "What a stupid excuse. If it had been a mistake you would have recognized it and not tried to kill me. What are you up to?" The woman smiled, that same devious smile she had worn moments before the end. "You're right. I actually knew who you were, I just needed an excuse to test your abilities. I'm hope you're not_ offended_ by that?"

Offended? Offended? What the hell was wrong with this woman? He needed answers, right now. He was going to Gin's, and she was coming with him. "We need to get out of here." He grabbed her by the wrist. "I'm hope _you're_ not offended by this?" Her smile grew playful, a motion that moved Tiam even in his current situation into a state of peculiar excitement. "Well, no. Lead me, dear sir. Lead me to wherever you want."

Tiam sighed.


End file.
